U.S. Military's V-22 Osprey Crashes off Japan’s Yakushima Island

An Osprey tilt-rotor plane belonging to the U.S. military crashed off the coast of Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, as confirmed by the Japan Coast Guard on Wednesday.

The emergency call reporting the crash was received by the Coast Guard at approximately 2:45 p.m., indicating that eight people were initially believed to be on board. However, the Coast Guard later revised the number to six individuals.

The call was made by the crew of a fishing boat near the crash site, and the 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters promptly dispatched a patrol boat and aircraft to investigate the details surrounding the incident. The Osprey aircraft is presumed to have been attempting to land at the Yakushima airport.

According to the Yakushima airport office in Kagoshima Prefecture, the crash likely occurred 2 to 4 kilometers away from the airport. Near the suspected crash site, a man was discovered unconscious along with debris from the aircraft. Tragically, the man was later confirmed dead, according to the coast guard.

Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki announced his intention to request the U.S. military to suspend all Osprey flights in Japan until a thorough investigation is conducted to determine the cause of the crash.

The Osprey, known for its unique ability to take off and land like a helicopter and cruise like a plane, has a history of accidents and mishaps both in Japan and abroad. Notably, in 2016, an MV-22 variant used by the U.S. Marine Corps crash-landed off Okinawa. Similar incidents occurred in Australia in 2017 and August of this year, resulting in the loss of three crew members in each tragic event.

As authorities work to uncover the circumstances surrounding this latest crash, concerns about the safety and reliability of Osprey aircraft persist, prompting renewed calls for a reassessment of their use in the region.